Kabbala #21: Yesod: The Translator

The sefirah of yesod, "foundation," translates spiritual concepts into actions that unite us with God.

All of the sefirot are compared to human organs, which are seen as counterparts to these sefirot. According to Kabbalah, the counterpart of yesod, "foundation," is the male reproductive ability. And as such, all of the laws of sanctity governing male desire and passion are termed kedushas midas yesod, "the sanctity of the attribute of yesod."

Therefore, by analyzing the primary characteristics of this human organ, we can get a through understanding of the attribute of yesod.

1. We find that while the cells of every organ are very specific in their function and structure, the cells of reproduction include (in an active way) the entirety of a person's components.

A translator who must be fluent in both the language of the speaker and the language of the listener.

2. We also find that the male reproductive organ has the ability to act as a bridge to transfer material to another person. A bridge has in itself a "dual capacity" -- it is compatible with both the source and the goal.This is similar to a translator who must be fluent in both the language of the speaker and the language of the listener.

3. A broker or middleman is deemed more efficient when he takes as little "commission" as possible. An interpreter is expected to interject as little of his personality or feelings as possible, and on the other hand, to lose as little as possible of the original when translating.

This verse lists a number of the sefirot and we are taught that for everything in heaven and earth refers to yesod.

The Targum, the traditional Aramaic translation of the Bible, explains this phrase as meaning "the One Who unites heaven and earth."

This phrase describes the phenomenon that God is able to transpose spirituality into physical realities and earthly beings.

All of the lofty transcendental concepts that are in the higher worlds are meant to become a part of our experience and cognizance.

All of those tangible commandments -- such as those pertaining to tefillin, matzahs, charity and mourning -- all started as lofty transcendental concepts, which the attribute of yesod carefully translated into the corresponding action.

For instance, rational communication with God finds its manifestation in vocal prayer, whereas the communication of pure emotion may find its realization in the sound of the shofar.

Lofty concepts of "justice" are translated into law -- what to do when oxens gore and people steal.

The soul's innermost yearning to be freed of its earthly shackles, and return to the purity of God, realizes itself in the trans-physicality of Yom Kippur. The bond between husband and wife is somehow contained under the chuppah, while the ability to abrogate this bond is concretized in the divorce document.

Lofty concepts of "justice" were given shape and form until they came to us in the details of the Divine laws -- what to do when oxen gore and people steal.

THE PARALLEL

Now we see that the attribute of yesod, in its perfection, carries all of the characteristics of the male reproductive organ.

1. All of the Divine Wisdom (that was intended for interaction with humans) was indeed incorporated into the Torah. Some of it is open, some of it implied, some of it alluded to, but all of it finds a place in the Torah.

Maimonides explains that the verse "for it is not in heavens" tells us that all of Torah was given to us, and none was held back.

2. Torah is a bridge between God and man and contains elements of both. Thus Torah contains "the words of a living God" and yet it speaks in "the language of man." In it, God's deeds are described in terms of human attributes (i.e. the Hand of God, God saw, etc.). This is all possible because Torah is perfectly compatible with the Divine Truth and with human language.

Torah is a bridge between God and man and contains elements of both.

3. The "middleman" through whom Torah was given to us was Moses, who is described by God as "My faithful servant, trusted in My entire House." Not only was there no conscious distortion or perversion of the Torah that Moses passed on to us, but his perception and understanding of the Torah was crystal clear. We are taught that "all of the prophets perceived God as if through a clouded looking glass, whereas Moses perceived God as if through a clear looking glass."

Thus, in one sense, yesod (the ninth sefirah) is the final attribute. It sums up and includes within itself the entirety of God's proposed interactions with man. It translates these purported interactions into a mode perceivable and tangible to man. And this translation takes place with no addition or subtraction to the original message, and with no distortion or aberration.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 2

(2)
harry patrick,
March 7, 2010 4:37 PM

amazed

I have searched for years for the truth about God
and I have just now begining to see, thanks to your lectures, they make sense out of God's words,now that i am seiing God's truth for the first time,thank you so much

(1)
Alex Sason,
November 12, 2008 12:29 AM

The Parallel

In number 1 of the parallel, it says that only the Divine Wisdom that was intended for interaction with humans was incorporated into the Torah. I think this should be changed. All Divine Wisdom was put into the Torah because Torah is H., which makes it infallible. In other words, its complete. missing nothing.
What it should say instead is "All of the Divine Wisdom was indeed incorporated into the Torah. Some of it is open, some of it implied, some of it alluded to, and most of it has yet to be revealed, but all of it finds a place in the Torah."

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I’ve been dating a young woman for the past two years and we are starting to think about marriage. The problem is that she is not Jewish. I would want her to convert, but in a way where there would be no doubt about its validity, so that we and our kids don’t have problems later on. How do you recommend that I proceed?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

I appreciate your desire to do the right thing and proceed in an authentic way.

The process of conversion is challenging and involves a process of a year or two. This benefits the person converting, to ensure he fully appreciates the responsibilities he is taking on.

According to the Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch), a valid conversion replicates the experience at Mount Sinai of 3,300 years ago, when the Jewish nation accepted the Torah. For your friend to convert, she must:

believe that Judaism is the true religion, not just accept it by default

study what it says in the Torah

commit to observe all the Torah's commandments

Further, a conversion must be motivated for the sincere purpose of getting close to God and His Torah, not for ulterior motives. Thus, your friend would have to embrace Judaism and the Torah for its own sake, not in order to marry you. She should have the exact same desire to convert even with you entirely out of the picture.

If your friend studies Judaism and feels it is right for her, she would then approach an Orthodox conversion court and explain her situation. The court would then decide if it feels she is a sincere candidate for conversion. If yes, she would begin the lengthy process of studying and practicing to become a true convert.

Of course, to have a successful relationship, you will also need a high level of appreciation and commitment to Judaism. Perhaps you could begin your own study program to discover how Torah values enhance our lives and form the bedrock of civilization.

You should endeavor to live near a Jewish community which has adult education programs, rabbis you can consult with, Shabbat hospitality programs, etc.

In 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), Moses completed his farewell address to the Jewish people, and God informed Moses that the day of his death was approaching (Deut. 31:14). Amazingly, the anniversary of Moses' completing his teaching coincides with the date in 1482 of the first printing of the standard format used for Jewish Bibles today: vowel signs, accents, translation (Targum), and Rashi commentary.

Lack of gratitude is at the root of discontent. In order to be consistently serene, we must master the attribute of being grateful to the Creator for all His gifts. As the Torah (Deuteronomy 26:11) states, "Rejoice with all the good the Almighty has given you." This does not negate our wanting more. But it does mean that we have a constant feeling of gratitude since as long as we are alive, we always have a list of things for which to be grateful.

[Solomon] was wiser than all men (I Kings 5:11), even wiser than fools (Midrash).

What does the Midrash mean by "wiser than fools"?

A man of means was once a Sabbath guest at the home of the Chofetz Chaim. He insisted upon paying the sage in advance for the Sabbath meals - an insulting demand. To everyone's surprise, the Chofetz Chaim accepted the money.

After the Sabbath the Chofetz Chaim forced the guest to take the money back. He explained, "Had I refused to accept the money before the Sabbath, the thought that he was imposing upon me might have distracted from the man's enjoying the spirit of the Sabbath. Although it was foolish of him to feel this way, I wished to put his mind at rest."

Not everyone thinks wisely all the time. Some people have foolish ideas. Yet if we oppose them, they may feel they have been wronged. Insisting on the logic of our own thinking may not convince them in the least. In such instances, it may require great wisdom to avoid offending someone, yet not submitting to his folly.

By accepting his guest's money, knowing that he would return it to him after the Sabbath, the Chofetz Chaim wisely accommodated this man's whim without compromising on his own principles.

A wise person may be convinced by a logical argument, but outsmarting a fool truly requires genius.

Today I shall...

try to avoid offending people whom I feel to be in the wrong, without in any way compromising myself.

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